Grail Knife List Help

You really need to consider one or two customs. Not the often over-priced $1-4k ones, but something in the $500 to $700+ range. John W Smith, Kirby Lambert and John Doyle come to mind. Hell, you're already looking at production knive in the $400-$500+ range. Why not get something a little more unique with some soul? As for production knives, I'd recommend looking at a Southard Avo or Tolk before considering another ZT or Strider. Especially if you're really limited to one knife a year, why not break away from the crowd a little?
 
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asdf12345 said:
Probably my Benchmade CQC-7.
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Thank you for the recommendation. It looks like an awesome knife and the price is great too. They don't have to be ridiculously expensive to be on the list. Heck, my Sebenza is less than half the price of what I paid for the ZT 0777 m390 and I like it a little better at this point.

Lebowski22 said:
The xm-18 is a very worthy Grail knife, and one that can be put to work...As an added benefit, this is bar none the absolute best time to purchase an xm-18.
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I love the look of the true Hinderers and am absolutely looking for a knife to put to work daily and have it coming back for more. The only issue is that the next day I can buy a knife is January 1st, 2015. I'm just starting the research early.

jswr450 said:
A Murray Carter knife should be on your list.
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I haven't heard much about him but will have to take a look. Were those folders that you bought from him?

Bob Leedy said:
You really need to consider one or two customs. Not the often over-priced $1-4k ones, but something in the $500 to $700 range. John W Smith, Kirby Lambert and John Doyle come to mind. Hell, you're already looking at production knives in the $400-$500+ range. Why not get something a little more unique with some soul? As for production knives, I'd recommend looking at a Southard Avo or Tolk before considering another ZT or Strider. Especially if you're really limited to one knife a year, why not break away from the crowd a little?
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I agree with you completely. I have looked at some custom makers like Yuna and Direware but their books are full. I would like to know some up and comers and appreciate your suggestions. I will definitely be checking them out. I actually was just looking at the Southard Avo and Tolk just yesterday. I really like both and couldn't decide if I wanted to add one to the list yet.
 
So after looking through the custom knife makers and finding an amazing thread started by SharpByCoop (link here), I've realized that if you get too into the custom side of things, it becomes more about art and not functionality. Before people jump on that comment, I am sure you could use the knives and they would hold up, but who wants to damage a knife that is literally a piece of art. Not the art of lines and form, but literally art made into the handle or on the blade.

So as the pursuit continues on my list, I want to find a knife, obviously a knife maker who makes the knife, that can be fully custom and be beautiful, but that I won't feel bad pulling out to cut a box, a piece of rubber, or even an occasional piece of plastic.

This means no damascus blades, recurves are out (not easy to sharpen, I use a clamp system- KME, great btw), folders (ease of carrying), and something that fits in the hand and is easy to hold onto. An added bonus would be smooth/cool action for sitting around and flipping/opening it.

The hunt continues.
 
Most makers don't have glamour shots/photos taken of their basic models. Generally the same core knife as the upgrades but more user friendly. For instance, a basic John W Smith will go for $600 or so but a top end piece can cost thousands.
 
I'm assuming by "Grail" you are meaning popular production folders? I was going to suggest maybe a rare Bob Loveless with the nude logo, then I saw your list. :/
 
Bob Leedy said:
Most makers don't have glamour shots/photos taken of their basic models. Generally the same core knife as the upgrades but more user friendly. For instance, a basic John W Smith will go for $600 or so but a top end piece can cost thousands.
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Very true, I have started to notice that more with each maker I look at. I guess to be very specific, I will be looking at makers that follow the goal of form follows function. Meaning it was created to work but looks good doing it. That is probably why I enjoy the sebenza so much. I was actually thinking about getting a sebenza with some custom work done to it on the handle and possibly an insingo blade, but I already have a sebenza.

Thank you for the effort to help me out Bob.

AntDog said:
I'm assuming by "Grail" you are meaning popular production folders? I was going to suggest maybe a rare Bob Loveless with the nude logo, then I saw your list. :/
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Well, to someone who is heavy into collecting, it can seem that way. I have looked at some more custom knives that follow the ideal of beautiful knives that are built to work, but as I have learned from looking, there is a "sweet spot" where anything before it is simple production and anything after it is made to sit on a shelf. Anything higher than the sweet spot would make you feel terrible using. The Bob Loveless nude logo is a fixed blade right? I am really looking to make a collection of folders at this point so that they will be used and carried daily. Side note: I just used my ZT 0777 m390 to cut up a very sticky canelope and did not feel bad at all. I paid over $600 for that knife but it was made to be used and can definitely handle it.

That is my goal. To find a knife that follows the form follows function adage. In my mind, the better the form (as long as it doesn't have a crazy damascus, recurve blade or 14k gold naked women on the handle) the better the function.
 
Medic5916 said:
So after looking through the custom knife makers and finding an amazing thread started by SharpByCoop (link here), I've realized that if you get too into the custom side of things, it becomes more about art and not functionality. Before people jump on that comment, I am sure you could use the knives and they would hold up, but who wants to damage a knife that is literally a piece of art. Not the art of lines and form, but literally art made into the handle or on the blade.

So as the pursuit continues on my list, I want to find a knife, obviously a knife maker who makes the knife, that can be fully custom and be beautiful, but that I won't feel bad pulling out to cut a box, a piece of rubber, or even an occasional piece of plastic.

This means no damascus blades, recurves are out (not easy to sharpen, I use a clamp system- KME, great btw), folders (ease of carrying), and something that fits in the hand and is easy to hold onto. An added bonus would be smooth/cool action for sitting around and flipping/opening it.

The hunt continues.
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If you're looking for a custom on the plainer side, take a look at Emerson's customs. They're not knives you'll be tempted to handle carefully; you won't feel bad at all hard using them. They generally come in either a G10 scaled configuration or a configuration with titanium bolsters and micarta scales. They're fully handmade knives, with the rough shapes cut out by waterjet or laser. Their fit and finish is quite good (though not immaculate), they retain their value well, and they're generally a bit more affordable than custom knives by other makers.
 
Medic5916 said:
Very true, I have started to notice that more with each maker I look at. I guess to be very specific, I will be looking at makers that follow the goal of form follows function. Meaning it was created to work but looks good doing it. That is probably why I enjoy the sebenza so much. I was actually thinking about getting a sebenza with some custom work done to it on the handle and possibly an insingo blade, but I already have a sebenza.

Thank you for the effort to help me out Bob.



Well, to someone who is heavy into collecting, it can seem that way. I have looked at some more custom knives that follow the ideal of beautiful knives that are built to work, but as I have learned from looking, there is a "sweet spot" where anything before it is simple production and anything after it is made to sit on a shelf. Anything higher than the sweet spot would make you feel terrible using. The Bob Loveless nude logo is a fixed blade right? I am really looking to make a collection of folders at this point so that they will be used and carried daily. Side note: I just used my ZT 0777 m390 to cut up a very sticky canelope and did not feel bad at all. I paid over $600 for that knife but it was made to be used and can definitely handle it.

That is my goal. To find a knife that follows the form follows function adage. In my mind, the better the form (as long as it doesn't have a crazy damascus, recurve blade or 14k gold naked women on the handle) the better the function.
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If you're looking for a knife where form follows function, look no further than a Bob Loveless knife. They just happen to be beautiful, while still being perfectly functional. Do a little research on him. He was "the knifemaker's knifemaker". However, his knives are about as rare as rocking horse sh!t. And, no, they don't have 24kt gold naked ladies on the handles. :rolleyes:
My main point was that when I picture the term "Grail knife", I don't much imagine popular production folders. They're no more "grails" than a Ford Taurus would be to a car collector. IMO, of course.
 
Well, I took a long time to look at some more custom knives and couldn't get enough of the Bruce Shaw or Todd Rexford full customs. What are the chances of getting my hands on a Bruce Shaw knife that I could use without crying? Also, I assume from what I have seen that the Todd Rexford's are much more available. Am I off with this?
 
Top 3 i would get right now,
#1 limited edition lionsteel tm1 TiDust, because there's only 100 made and they look pretty darn right cool.
#2 Bastinelli Assaucalypse, it's just a big sexy Italian blade.
#3 Buck (blued) Hoodlum is a lot of bad # American blade for the "buck". It would satisfy the pirate in me.

One a year though, with a good price range, i'd seriously look for limited runs, true customs, etc. Provided you already have an EDC (or 2 or 3), some quality production pieces, and select practical ones; hunting, work, fishing, etc; I would try and make the one per year be one to remember, one of a kind, heirloom pieces... That's just me though...
 
After handling it at the SIKS last weekend I have to say the Thorburn/Van Heerden A2 is a knife worthy of grail status. Best flipper I've ever activated, by a huge margin.
 
Awesome recommendations guys. I have contacted four custom knife makers and two of their books are currently on back log due to high demand. The other two I have yet to receive a response from. All of the knife makers I have contacted meet the grail list qualifications and have gone above and beyond on beauty and function (and yes, it is solely based on my idea of a grail, but I have received good insight based on your recommendations). I don't want to post names on here due to seeming like I would be giving a negative connotation. I am just updating the search for my grails.

I will continue searching but I guess the positive of buying one knife a year is I have time to wait and if the time and price is right, that will be the one to make the list for that year.

I have a question about Daniel M. Stucky knives. Has anyone purchased and used one as a "high end" EDC ("HEEDC"- nutnfancy term)? These remind me of the Sebenza in a few ways and also look like they could take a beating and come out looking "experienced", if not the same. How is the action and quality of the knife? What do these tend to run price wise? I am referring specifically to the folder hunter, large tactical folder, and large folder. The large tactical folder catches my eye the most at this current moment.
 
I've always like Brian Tighe's designs. William Henry as well.
 
I recently received a Ray Laconico Bear, I highly recommend it.

[video=youtube;yIWbgLplPgs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIWbgLplPgs[/video]
 
I am really glad I posted my question on here and the recommendations have been awesome. I am definitely not taking people's recommendations and just adding them to a list, but I have been honestly looking at the different knives and seeing what designs/functions I like. I do not want to pursue a recurve as it will be hard to sharpen at all and even harder to sharpen well (I have a KME clamp design sharpener). I want a blade that will be easy to sharpen and convex. Also, I do not want a knife that has a bunch of designs or damascus blade that will get trashed under regular use. Also, I am not solely stuck on flippers or thumb stud openers.

I do have a question that may be hard to answer but was hoping for some insight.

I am fascinated and fell in love with the Scott Cook Lochsa. I guess you could call it love at first sight because I had seen it in the past and really liked it, but after looking for a while, I knew that it was exactly what I was looking for. His books are currently closed and not sure when they will reopen. I wouldn't have a problem spending what the secondary market is asking, except that it is 3x the original price and I'm not sure how I would feel about carrying a knife that I paid that much for (on the secondary market). I would just wait to see if his books opened in the next couple of years but I have no guarantee that will ever happen or even if he did, when.
 
For what you are looking to spend, and judging by what it seems you're looking to get. The best suggestion I can give, is go to a knife show nearest to you (Not sure where you live, but there's Blade, TKI, NYCKS, and many more). Meet the makers, and get to hold and feel the nuances of their knives. Most of the "big" makers go to the larger shows. Also getting in on the lotteries is practically the only shot to get one of their knives at a reasonable price. Even from guys with closed books.

Just to add to your list of research. From what you are describing I would say John Barker is a guy you need to check out. His Hokkaido is probably one of the best tanto blades (next to Brad Southard IMHO) I've seen. The knives seem very user friendly, and not really ornate. Again, closed books, but he's coming out with a mid-tech.
 
NorthernSouthpaw said:
For what you are looking to spend, and judging by what it seems you're looking to get. The best suggestion I can give, is go to a knife show nearest to you (Not sure where you live, but there's Blade, TKI, NYCKS, and many more). Meet the makers, and get to hold and feel the nuances of their knives. Most of the "big" makers go to the larger shows. Also getting in on the lotteries is practically the only shot to get one of their knives at a reasonable price. Even from guys with closed books.

Just to add to your list of research. From what you are describing I would say John Barker is a guy you need to check out. His Hokkaido is probably one of the best tanto blades (next to Brad Southard IMHO) I've seen. The knives seem very user friendly, and not really ornate. Again, closed books, but he's coming out with a mid-tech.
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Thanks for the info. I actually live in the Dominican Republic (missions work). Making it to one of the shows would probably be near impossible. When someone closes their books, is that forever or for a given time?

Those John Barker's look awesome. I don't know how I feel about tanto blades. How easy is it to sharpen a tanto? Either way, I really like the style of his knives.
 
If you like Terzuolas, now's a good time to buy them. The prices on those really have crashed. I see some going unsold for $600-700.
 
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